Labour vows to make it harder for bosses to refuse staff’s work-from-home requests
Louise Haigh tells unions that businesses will be forced to demonstrate that they have ‘properly’ considered requests
Labour has told unions that it plans to make it harder for employers to block requests to work from home.
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Speaking at the annual Trade Union Conference (TUC), First Secretary of State Louise Haigh said that the Labour Party will force employers to explain to their employees the exact reason for denying work from home requests.
Ms Haig said: “If an employer wants to turn down a request, they will have to sit down with their employee, properly consider and explain why,.
“Life isn’t always as neat as employers would like it to be.
“There’s kids to pick up. Parents to look after. Families who rely on us at short notice. And sometimes, a little bit of flexibility can make all the difference.”
She added: “Not every job can be done from home and not every request can be agreed” but under the new plans each request “can be taken seriously”.
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Under current rules, all employees have the legal right to request flexible working with regard to their hours or where they work.
These must be considered in a “reasonable manner” and a decision made within two months.
Working from home spiralled during the Covid pandemic when restrictions meant employees were unable to travel into their offices.
Despite 'return to the office drives' millions of workers across public and private sectors have continued to work from home.
Research conducted last year found that the UK had one of the highest rates of remote working in Europe, with employees on average working 1.8 days a week from home.
The Telegraph understands that ministers will lay additional legislation under the Employment Rights Act.
Paul Nowak, the leader of Britain’s trades union movement, said flexible working “isn’t just a perk – it’s a lifeline”.
He said: “That’s why this move is a welcome step forward. It makes it harder for employers to turn down requests while giving workers a stronger voice in the process.